A European health agency said Friday that 144 new A/H1N1 flu cases were reported in European countries within the last 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 47 were confirmed in Britain, 73 in Spain, 12 in France, six in Germany, two in Italy, one respectively in Sweden, Romania, Bulgaria and Ireland, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in its daily situation report.

The total number of confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu virus in the EU (European Union) and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries rose to 971, with 291 cases in Spain and 428 in Britain, 56 in France and 49 in Germany, the ECDC said.

The ECDC publishes a daily situation report about A/H1N1 flu cases in the EU and EFTA countries based on official information from these countries.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2009)